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Wimbledon Common turns Arctic

19.12.2005

A century-old Arctic sport will come to Wimbledon today as the 2006 Fulda Challenge UK team descends on the Common. On Monday 19 December, Kate Balchin and Martin Yardley will take part in a husky dog sledding training session.

The super-fit pair qualified for the 2006 Fulda Challenge following two gruelling selection events in the UK and Italy. The 25-year-old female Metropolitan police officer and 37-year-old Royal Marine PTI will travel to the Yukon Territory in Canada on 28 January 2006. Here they will compete against nine other countries in the eight-day Arctic adventure.

The challenge involves a number of demanding sporting activities, including ice climbing, cross-country skiing and, of course, husky dog sledding – all in temperatures as low as –50ºC. The winning team will be presented with two Klondike gold nuggets and crowned the 2006 Fulda Challenge champions.

Kate and Martin will receive expert tuition on Husky dog handling from Wimbledon’s own Andy Pullen. Andy is a member of the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain and has been racing for over ten years. He will introduce the team to his pack of Siberian husky dogs and offer invaluable advice on dog sledding in Arctic conditions.

“The dog sledding event is one that I am really excited about,” says Kate. “I had been hoping to undergo some training before we travel to Canada, so I’m thrilled that Andy has offered to show us the ropes.”

“I will do all I can to give Kate and Martin the training they need to succeed in the challenge,” says Andy. “The dog sledding event in Canada will be an amazing experience for them both. The Arctic region is where the sport originated so it is the real thing.”

Fulda Brand Manager Marcus White is impressed with the commitment of the 2006 UK team. “Kate and Martin have been putting their all into training in the run-up to the main event,” he says. “They’ve been hovercrafting, 4x4 driving, endurance training and now this. I’m hoping that Andy’s husky dog training will give them a competitive advantage over the other teams in Canada and help them score enough points to win the challenge overall.”